Great question! I made this exact mistake a few years ago and learned the hard way. You definitely want to use the ACH/direct deposit routing number, not the wire transfer one. The IRS processes all tax refunds and stimulus payments through the ACH system. If you're having trouble finding the right number, the easiest way is to look at one of your personal checks - the routing number printed on the bottom left is always the ACH routing number. You can also find it in your Chase mobile app under "Account Details" or by calling Chase and specifically asking for the "ACH routing number for direct deposits." Whatever you do, don't use the wire transfer routing number - I did that once and my refund got bounced back to the IRS. Had to wait an extra month for them to mail me a paper check instead. Double-check your account number too while you're at it!

I just went through this same situation with my Wells Fargo account last month! You definitely need the ACH/direct deposit routing number, not the wire transfer one. The easiest way to find it is to look at one of your checks - that 9-digit number on the bottom left is always your ACH routing number. I also recommend double-checking your account number when you enter it. I've heard so many horror stories of people transposing digits and having their refunds rejected. Take your time and verify everything twice before hitting submit. One more tip: if you're filing electronically, most tax software will actually validate your routing number format to make sure it's a real bank routing number, which can give you some peace of mind. But it won't tell you if you picked the wrong TYPE of routing number, so make sure you're using the ACH one!

This is actually a great example of how the tax system is supposed to work! When you have low income but qualify for refundable credits like the Earned Income Credit, you can get back more than you paid in. The $0 tax liability just means your income after deductions didn't result in any federal income tax owed - which is totally normal and nothing to worry about. Your refund should process normally within the 21-day timeframe from your processing date of Feb 17th.

Just want to add that you should definitely keep an eye on your "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website too! Since your processing date was Feb 17th, you're right in that 21-day window. The tool will show you once it moves to "refund approved" and then "refund sent" status. With everything looking normal on your transcript (no holds, no additional review codes), you should see movement soon. Also heads up - direct deposit usually comes a few days before they update the tool, so don't panic if your bank gets it before the IRS site updates! 🙌

What tax software are people using for situations like this? I'm using TurboTax and can't figure out how to explain the 1099-NEC discrepancy anywhere.

I went through something very similar last year! My 1099-NEC had the wrong amount in Box 1 ($3,200 instead of $4,850) and also had Box 7 marked incorrectly. Here's what I learned: 1. Definitely try to get a corrected form first - send a written request to the company with your actual payment records attached. Give them about 2-3 weeks to respond. 2. If they don't issue a correction before you need to file, go ahead and report your actual income ($7,340) on Schedule C. The IRS wants you to report all income you actually received, regardless of what the 1099 says. 3. Keep detailed records of EVERYTHING - your invoices, contracts, payment confirmations, bank deposits, and your request for correction. Also document any communication with the company about the error. 4. Consider attaching a brief statement to your return explaining the discrepancy. Something like "1099-NEC received shows $5,875 in Box 1, but actual payments received were $7,340 as documented in attached records." The Box 2 marking is definitely wrong for graphic design work - that's only for direct sales of consumer products. Don't worry too much about it affecting your filing, just make sure your Schedule C clearly shows your business as graphic design services. You're being responsible by catching this early. Most people don't even notice these errors!

Just a tip from my experience - if you file as "Married Filing Separately" without getting an ITIN for your spouse this year, but later decide you want to amend to "Married Filing Jointly" after getting their ITIN, you CAN do this! You have 3 years from the original filing deadline to file an amended return.

I was in almost the exact same situation two years ago - J1 visa with a J2 spouse who had no SSN or ITIN and zero income. Here's what I learned: The key decision is whether the potential tax savings from filing jointly justify the hassle of getting an ITIN for your spouse. Since you mentioned having just one W2, if your income is relatively modest, the difference between the MFS standard deduction ($13,850) and MFJ standard deduction ($27,700) could save you significant money. However, getting an ITIN can take 6-11 weeks during tax season, and you'd need to mail your original passport or certified copies along with Form W-7. If you're not comfortable mailing your passport, you can visit an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, but appointments are hard to get. For your first year, I'd honestly recommend starting with MFS to get your return filed on time, then consider getting the ITIN for next year when you have more time to plan. You can always amend later if the tax savings are worth it, but at least you won't miss any deadlines while waiting for ITIN processing. Also, make sure you're claiming any applicable tax treaty benefits - many J1 visa holders from certain countries can exempt part of their income for the first few years.

I had this exact issue in 2023 - no income but I did have a failed business attempt that lost about $5k. Called a tax preparer who wanted to charge me $250 just to tell me if I needed to file! Ridiculous.

Thanks for sharing your experience with VITA - that's actually a great resource I didn't know about! For anyone else reading this thread, I wanted to add that even with zero income, you might still want to consider filing if you had any federal taxes withheld from unemployment benefits or other sources during the year. I learned this the hard way when I had a brief period of unemployment early in 2023 but then no other income for the rest of the year. Even though my total income was below the filing threshold, I had taxes withheld from those unemployment payments that I could only get back by filing a return. Ended up getting a small refund that I wouldn't have received otherwise. The IRS won't automatically send you money you're owed - you have to file to claim it, even if filing isn't technically required based on your income level.